Juliana Stratton's US Senate bid endorsed by House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris' Welch
Backing for Stratton from the Democratic Party of Proviso, a political operation headed by Welch, comes as no surprise. Welch, of Hillside, and Stratton served together as rank-and-file lawmakers in the Illinois House, and Welch said he knocked on doors for Stratton ahead of her election to the House in 2016 when she defeated longtime state Rep. Ken Dunkin of Chicago.
In declaring his support for Stratton's U.S. Senate run Monday morning, Welch described the lieutenant governor as a proven leader who, as a House member from 2017 to 2019, stood up to former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner during a two-year budget impasse that decimated state services and brought hardship to Illinois' economy.
'She's already proven to us who she is. She's already proven to us what she stands for. And she did something about it. She ran. She won,' Welch, flanked by several state and municipal elected officials, told the crowd at the Ironworkers Local 63 offices in suburban Broadview. 'And I was proud to stand with her on the House floor in the end of the Republican budget crisis.'
Stratton, who is from Chicago's South Side, served in the legislature at a time when the 'tide turned in Illinois' for Democrats, Welch noted. The state House went from a 65-51 Democratic majority during the 2017-2018 legislative term to a 74-44 Democratic majority in the 2019-2020 term. Rauner ended up losing by a landslide in his 2018 reelection bid to JB Pritzker, who chose Stratton as his running mate.
Welch also appeared to draw a parallel between Rauner, a wealthy hedge fund executive, and Republican President Donald Trump — a frequent target of criticism for Pritzker and other Democrats over policies that include the sweeping tax breaks and spending cuts under a bill the president signed July 4 that could negatively impact Illinois residents who rely on Medicaid and other public assistance.
'We faced a billionaire Republican who wanted to cut this state to the bone. We faced a billionaire Republican who tried to cut health care for seniors, for veterans and for families in need. We faced a billionaire Republican whose only agenda was to give special deals to his ultra-wealthy friends. Does that sound familiar at all to you all?' Welch said, drawing a few groans of agreement in the room without having to mention Trump's name. 'She knows how to fight.'
In her remarks, Stratton took a more direct swipe at Trump and his 'big beautiful bill.'
'What we're living through now is truly unprecedented. Donald Trump has ignited a five-alarm fire and the chaos has reached a fever pitch. Attacks on the rule of law. Attacks on the Constitution. Attacks on our neighbors,' Stratton said. 'Just look at what he did (earlier this month). Cutting health care for millions of Americans, ripping food out of the mouths of hungry children, raising costs for middle-class families. And he had the audacity to call it 'beautiful.' Well, I call it despicable. And it's also dangerous.'
Stratton's remarks come as Pritzker, who threw his support behind her Senate campaign shortly after she announced in late April, issued an executive order directing state agencies to evaluate the scope and impact of Trump's tariffs on how they would affect key economic sectors in Illinois.
The governor is asking state agencies to look into the industries and economic development regions most affected by trade-related disruption and to check on supply chain disruptions of medical supplies and disruptions that could adversely affect food assistance programs.
Among those at the event to endorse Stratton were Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford of Maywood; Assistant House Majority Leader Bob Morgan of Deerfield; Assistant House Majority Leader Camille Lilly of Chicago; state Rep. Norma Hernandez of Melrose Park; and state Reps. Mary Beth Canty and Nicolle Grasse, both of Arlington Heights. Previously announced support came from the state's other sitting U.S. senator, Democrat Tammy Duckworth.
While a larger field is expected, Stratton's major announced Democratic opponents so far are U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, whose campaign on Monday announced a slew of endorsements from local officials for his candidacy.
With backing from Pritzker, a billionaire and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, Stratton has the potential to raise big money before the March primary. But Krishnamoorthi has also proven to be an able fundraiser. Through March, his campaign raised about $19 million, federal elections records show.
Asked about Krishnamoorthi's fundraising ability, Stratton said she instead sees 'momentum of my campaign.' While the latest true accounting of Krishnamoorthi and Stratton's campaign coffers won't be available until later in the week, Stratton said she was able to raise more than $1 million 'through grassroots support.'
'I started from scratch when I ran for this federal race, and the fact that we were able to set a goal of a seven-figure dollar amount and exceeded that, I think it shows the strength of my campaign,' she said. 'And remember, I also made the commitment to not accept any corporate PAC (political action committee) money.'
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